8 Dairy-Free Ricotta Recipes, From Pancakes to Manicotti

Across Italy, creamy, soft, spreadable ricotta is a go-to ingredient in several traditional recipes. You’ll find it in Sicilian cannoli recipes, for example, as well as Tuscan filled pasta dishes and Neopolitan pizzas. But while it was created in Italy, ricotta isn’t just found in Italian foods. In the US, American chefs and home cooks have embraced ricotta in breakfast pancake recipes to create a lighter, fluffier texture and to add a creamy richness. 

Ricotta is undeniably versatile, but in its traditional form, it is not, of course, plant-based. But as with most animal products, it is possible to make a vegan ricotta. Find out more about how, as well as some delicious plant-based ricotta recipe ideas, below.

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What is vegan ricotta made from?

Ricotta is an Italian cheese made from the whey leftover from the production of other cheeses—so not vegan. But the texture and taste can be replicated using plant-based ingredients. 

Alex Shytsman

RELATED: 35 Tofu Recipes: From Sushi to Caprese to Meaty Vegan Chicken

Almonds, for example, can serve as a base for vegan ricotta when soaked and blended. Find out more about how to make almond ricotta with just three ingredients here. Silken or firm tofu can also be crumbled and blended with other ingredients to create a ricotta-like consistency. Find out more about how to use tofu to make a delicious herby vegan ricotta here.

Other plant-based ingredients that can be used to make vegan ricotta include soaked raw cashews and macadamia nuts, which are blended with water to achieve a pleasant, creamy texture. Nutritional yeast is another key ingredient for vegan ricotta, as it helps to add that signature cheesy flavor, while lemon juice gives acidity for that traditional tang.

What to make with vegan ricotta: 8 tasty recipes

Lovely Delites

1 Vegan Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes 

If you love thick, super fluffy, flavor-packed pancakes, you will adore this recipe from Lovely Delites. The fruity, summer-ready vegan pancakes are made with Kite Hill’s dairy-free ricotta, which you can find out more about here, or you can swap in your own homemade version using one of our recipes above!
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Brianna Claxton

2 Vegan Sausage and Ricotta Stuffed Shells With Vodka Sauce

For a hearty Italian-style dinner, make these vegan ricotta-stuffed pasta shells with tomato vodka sauce and spicy plant-based sausage. Taken from the Vegan Pasta Night cookbook, this recipe is a real crowd-pleaser and guaranteed to make its way into your weekly dinner rotation.
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Jackie Sobon

3 Cheesy Vegan Spinach Lasagna With Parmesan, Ricotta, and Mozzarella

Why pick one cheese for your lasagna when you could pick three? This recipe from the NYC Vegan: Iconic Recipes for a Taste of the Big Apple cookbook combines vegan parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella to make one big deliciously creamy, super-cheesy, and incredibly comforting midweek dish.
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Holly V. Gray

4 Vegan Pumpkin Lasagna Rollups

Pumpkin doesn’t usually jump to mind when you think lasagna rollups, but trust us, it works—especially when it’s combined with delicious vegan tofu ricotta cheese, spinach, and creamy bechamel sauce.
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Jessica in the Kitchen

5 Vegan Manicotti

It arguably doesn’t get more comforting than manicotti stuffed with vegan ricotta and loaded up with melted vegan mozzarella and marinara sauce. “If you’re feeding a group of mixed eaters, trust me: the cheese lovers will never guess this dish is dairy-free,” says recipe developer Jessica in the Kitchen.
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Rabbits and Wolves

6 Vegan Lemon Ricotta Couscous

This delicious, flavor-packed recipe combines North African couscous with Italian ricotta to create a delicious fusion dish you’ll want to eat again and again. Add in some herby baked tofu for extra texture and protein-packed goodness. “I like to add a little red pepper and more agave to the top to create a “hot honey” type of situation,” adds Rabbits and Wolves. “It is just so dang good.”
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Lazy Cat Kitchen

7 Vegan Spinach and Ricotta Pierogi

In another great fusion dish, Lazy Cat Kitchen stuffs pierogi (Polish filled dumplings) with vegan tofu ricotta and spinach in this tasty recipe. For best results, serve them with “crisped-up shallots, a pinch of mild chili, and a smattering of fresh, minced parsley.”
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Rainbow Nourishments

8 Vegan Ricotta and Kale Filo Scrolls

According to Rainbow Nourishments, these plant-based scrolls, which are packed with tofu ricotta and kale, are “crispy, moreish, and wholesome.” They’re similar to traditional manicotti, but instead of pasta, they’re made with tasty crumbly filo pastry.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.